Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday strongly condemned the “arbitrary arrest of human rights defenders Tahira Abdullah and Samina Omar in Islamabad”, the commission said in a post on X.
According to the post, the pair was taken into custody outside the National Press Club ahead of a protest in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
“Given that neither of them was part of any public gathering at the time, their actions in no way constitute a violation of Section 144 as the police have alleged,” the statement said.
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
The statement said the commission was “concerned to learn that [the women] are allegedly not being given access to their legal counsel”.
“Both Ms Abdullah and Ms Omar must be released immediately and unconditionally,” HRCP said.
The protest was organised by former Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. Earlier today, he announced the call for protest in a post on X, stating, “This is an appeal for participation.”
More to follow
